A stronger economy is good news for workers, who have more employment options than they did in the wake of the recession. But business leaders are likely to face some daunting HR challenges if they haven’t already. Those who aren’t doing everything they can to keep great employees risk watching them walk out the door.

Nationwide, our research shows 37 percent of employees — more than one in three — considered pursuing a better job elsewhere in 2015. That figure is an increase over the previous year (35.7 percent). And keep in mind, we’re studying organizations that either qualify as Top Workplaces or aspire to get there. These are companies that reap the benefits of employee engagement at levels more than double the norm in the United States.

What makes employees want to stay? When organizations focus on what really matters — connection, alignment and effectiveness. We see it in the Workplace Dynamics survey comments, like this one from an employee at Nowalk-based nonprofit Family and Children’s Agency: “My work is meaningful and I feel like the leadership is supportive. The culture is positive and happy.”

Biggest challenge: Labor

Connection should be a big concern for employers, because hiring and retention are not getting easier. Companies are citing a skilled labor shortage as their most serious long-term challenge. When the Employer Associations of Americaasked executives to express their greatest challenges for business growth in their industry, hiring tops the list. That’s especially a challenge with unemployment below 3 percent in some areas. Connecticut unemployment measured 5.7 percent in July, which is above the national average but well below the state’s post-recession highs of 9.2 percent in 2011. Employees have more choices.

While pay and perks can offer some happiness, they are part of what we consider “Me” factors in workplace engagement. And that’s not what earns organizations a place on Hearst Connecticut Media’s 2016 Top Workplaces list. What matters more are the “We” factors. With that connection, employees are willing to invest more of themselves. Without it, they are more likely to underperform or leave.

Nationwide, organizations that ranked as Top Workplaces by WorkplaceDynamics reported, on average, a 67 percent employee engagement rate, according to our surveys in 2015. That compares with 32 percent employee engagement for all U.S. workers, according to the most recent Gallup poll.

Those who “got it” years ago are well-prepared, while organizations without a solid retention plan are probably in trouble. Workplace culture and employee engagement are more important than ever before. When you combine the “Me” and the “We,” you’ve got the recipe for the organizational health to serve up long-term, sustainable performance.